I won’t appear before medical panel, says Suntai

Ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State has said that he will not appear before the recently-constituted medical panel set up by the state House of Assembly to determine his state of health.

The Speaker, Mr. Josiah Sabo Kente, had set up a five-man medical team to investigate the “true state of health” of Suntai.

The action followed a letter from the State Executive Council to the lawmakers to constitute a medical panel to ascertain the “mental and physical condition of the governor so as to know whether he is capable of steering the affairs of the state.”

The five-man medial panel has Prof. B.B Shehu as chairman. Others are Dr. Inusa Samaila, Prof. Peter Alabi, Dr. Shehu Sule and Dr. Ahmed Kara, who is Suntai’s personal physician, as members.

But Suntai, who spoke through the Attorney-General And Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Timothy Kataps, in a an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, said that since the matter was already before the court, it was not advisable for the governor to appear before the panel.

The ailing governor, who returned to the country two weeks ago, said that the issue of the medical panel was part of the reliefs he sought in the suit he instituted against the House of Assembly when he wrote to them, asking them to allow him to resume duties.

Kataps said, “Remember that the issue of a medical team to examine Suntai was part of the reliefs we sought in an earlier suit we filed against the House of Assembly. So, until that case is dispensed with, it will not be wise for the governor to appear before any medical team.”

Suntai is still holed up in Abuja since returning to the country from medical treatment abroad.

The Speaker, while constituting the medical team, had said that the exercise became necessary following a unanimous demand by members of the state’s Executive Council.

Suntai suffered serious injuries when a helicopter he was flying crashed near Yola, the Adamawa State capital, on October 25, 2012. Punch